Mobile App Development Process: A Step-by-Step Guide

So, you are all ready for your digital transformation. And you have a brilliant app idea - you can explain it and know it will take your business to new heights. So what’s next? Probably the most important part of your digital transformation journey - the mobile app development process. 

Your journey from a local business to one with global reach isn’t as easy as it seems. While some attribute success to relentless hard work and failure to mere misfortune, we believe that every successful business starts with the right step. Therefore, it is crucial to understand the mobile app development process first, so you know what's going on and what needs to be done. 

This knowledge can guide you in making the right decisions for your business growth. In your efforts for business expansion, every step, every decision, and every leap matters. It's not just about being aware of the process, but also knowing what actions to take.                        

Our step-by-step guide on the mobile app development process is meticulously created by Industry experts and insiders. So, come on, let’s get started! But before we jump right to the main topic, let’s uncover some interesting facts and statistics about the global mobile app development market.

Key Insights and Statistics on the Mobile App Development Market

• In 2021, there were approximately 7.1 billion mobile users worldwide. By 2024, this number is expected to rise to 7.26 billion, and by 2025, it is projected to reach 7.49 billion. (Source: Statista)
• The global mobile app market is on track to reach a staggering $756 billion by 2027. The growth rate from 2022 to 2027 is estimated at a steady Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 8.58%. (Source: Statista)
• The global mobile app development market was valued at USD 197.2 billion in 2021. It is anticipated to grow significantly, reaching approximately USD 583.03 billion by 2030, with a robust CAGR of 12.8% during the forecast period (2022–2030). (Source: Straitsresearch)
• The market for app downloads is expected to surge at a CAGR of 13.4% between 2022 and 2030, reaching an estimated value of USD 565.40 billion by that time. (Source: Straitsresearch)

What Is Mobile App Development?

The mobile app development process refers to creating software for handheld devices like smartphones and tablets, predominantly for Android and iOS platforms. These apps can come pre-installed, be downloaded from an app store, or be accessed via a mobile web browser. The languages used in this type of software development include Java, Swift, React Native, Flutter, Xamarin, C#, and HTML5.

At the same time, mobile app development shares similarities with other forms of software creation, including web applications. However, the key distinction between mobile app development and conventional software development lies in the mobile apps' capability to utilize a device's native features.

The process of app development becomes straightforward when divided into several stages. If you're interested in creating apps, here’s the typical mobile app development lifecycle:

• Planning and ideation  
• Choosing the right technology platform  
• UI/UX designing
• Coding
• Testing and quality assurance  
• App deployment and launch
• Post-launch maintenance and updates 

The Ultimate Guide to Mobile App Development Process

Mobile app development involves a series of meticulous steps that can take considerable time. However, understanding the intricacies of the entire process can help you with many of your queries. Let's navigate through the complete process, from scratch to deployment.

Step 1: Planning and Ideation

The journey of mobile app development starts with a strategic plan. Consider how a mobile app can enhance your business. What advantages will it offer to your customers, employees, or partners?

Here are some steps to create a solid plan for your mobile app development project:

#1. Setting Goals

You will have to define your app’s primary goals - whether it is intended for businesses or end-users. You can do this by addressing these questions:

• What issue will your app address?
• Who are the intended users?
• What outcomes do you anticipate from my app?

You might already have a preliminary concept for your app, so you might not need to ponder these questions too much. Nonetheless, it's beneficial to know the main goals for future reference.

#2. Competitor Analysis

The next phase in strategic planning involves examining your current or potential competitors. Are there any existing apps that are similar to your app’s idea? How well are they doing? Do they have a high number of downloads and positive feedback? By studying your competitors, you can avoid repeating any errors that might have already occurred in your field. 

#3. Defining Requirements

Firstly, you need to be clear about the functions you want in your mobile apps. For instance, if you're developing an app for the finance sector, it might need to facilitate account creation, credit card management, payments, and account statement generation, among other things.

These tasks will be included in your functional requirements document, which will help you better understand the features that must be developed.

#4. Creating a Product Roadmap

The next step is to outline your app's roadmap. This process is vital to planning for the future and detailing how you will achieve your set objectives.

When your Minimum Viable Product (MVP) is launched, you want it to be a success and avoid any possible setbacks. Therefore, you list all the capabilities you want your app to have during the product roadmap creation.

Step 2: Choosing the Right Platform for Your App

Choosing the targeted platform for your mobile app is the most crucial step to be followed in the app development process. Choosing the suitable tech stack depends on various aspects, including your targeted platform, features & functionalities, and your resources & budget. 

At the same time, it will also help you choose the development team. For instance, if you want a native app, you will need an experienced iOS or Android developer, but if you want a cross-platform app, you will need someone well-versed in technologies like Flutter, Titanium, and Xamarin. 

Here’s a brief overview of mobile app platforms:

Native App Development

Native applications are developed using the official software development kits (SDKs) and specific programming languages tailored for each platform (iOS or Android).

iOS App Development

For developing native apps for iOS devices, the following technology stack can be used: 

• Swift is a modern, powerful, and user-friendly primary language for creating iOS apps. 
• Xcode serves as the main development environment for iOS apps and is equipped with a code editor, debugger, and other essential tools for developers. 
• The iOS SDK is a suite of tools and frameworks used for iOS app development, including UIKit for user interface creation, Foundation for data handling, and Core Graphics for drawing and animations. 
• UIKit provides necessary UI elements like buttons, labels, tables, and collection views. 
• Other frequently used technologies in iOS app development include databases (like SQLite or Core Data), networking libraries (like AFNetworking or Alamofire), and testing frameworks (like XCTest or Quick).

Android App Development

The most commonly used technologies for developing a native Android app are listed below: 

• Java is the primary language used for developing Android apps. It's a robust, object-oriented language that's easy to grasp. 
• Android Studio is the main development environment for Android apps, featuring a code editor, debugger, and other developer tools. 
• The Android SDK is a collection of tools and frameworks for Android app development, including UI elements, data storage, and networking. 
• The Android framework is a set of APIs that provide core functionalities for Android apps, including view management, touch handling, and event handling. 
• Kotlin is a modern, statically typed programming language that can be used alongside Java for Android app development.        

Cross-platform App Development

The cross-platform application leverages a unified codebase to construct a mobile app capable of operating on various platforms. It utilizes a tech stack that encompasses frameworks such as Flutter, React Native, and Xamarin. 

While cross-platform app development is typically quicker and more cost-efficient than native app development, it may lead to certain compromises in performance and user experience.

Here are some technology stacks used in developing cross-platform apps:

• Ionic: Ionic stands out as an exceptional and widely-used framework for cross-platform app development, built on AngularJS, allowing developers to use HTML5, JavaScript, and CSS, along with the Cordova wrapper, to interact with native platform controllers.
• React Native: This framework, built on JavaScript, is utilized to compose genuine code that imparts a native-like feel to mobile applications compatible with Android and iOS.
• Flutter: Flutter is a software development kit crafted to aid in swift Android and iOS app development and apps for Google Fuschia.
• Xamarin: Xamarin's cross-platform app development frameworks facilitate app development using C# and .Net instead of JS libraries and HTML.
• NativeScript: NativeScript is an open-source cross-platform framework based on JavaScript. It's fair to say that NativeScript is a favored choice among developers seeking Write Once, Run Anywhere (WORA) functionality.
• Node.js is a phenomenal framework for crafting cross-platform apps. Essentially, Node.js is a JavaScript runtime framework constructed on the Chrome V8 JavaScript engine. 

Step 3: UI/UX Designing

A compelling user experience is what keeps the users engaged. To ensure that your app delivers an optimal user experience, the design aspect cannot be overlooked. A poorly designed app can lead to frustration in your user and switching to other apps, negating all the hard work you've put into its development. Hence, investing significant effort in creating an app that users will appreciate is crucial.

Your app's UI/UX design should be intuitive, user-friendly, engaging, and provide a smooth experience. With this in mind, let's delve deeper into the different aspects of design.

Information Architecture and Workflows

The initial phase of the app design process involves deciding how the app's information will be displayed. This includes determining the data that will be included in your app, how it will be presented, and how users will interact with it.       

Wireframes

Following this, digital sketches, known as wireframes, are created by business analysts. These provide a visual blueprint of your app's functionality and primarily focus on enhancing the user experience and the aesthetic appeal of the app. The goal is to ensure that the final application is intuitive and easy to use.

Style Guides

Style guides are developed to consolidate your company's branding elements in one place. These guides typically include the following design aspects of your app:

• Fonts
• Color scheme
• Spacing and positioning
• Buttons
• Widgets

Mockups

Once the style guides are ready, the next step is to create mockups. These are essentially the final visual representations of your app, developed by applying the style guide to the wireframes. After this stage, it's crucial to ensure consistency in design throughout the app.

Prototypes

The final stage of the UI/UX design process involves developing prototypes. It allows you to simulate the user experience and the entire workflow of the app, giving you a clear idea of how everything will function upon completion.

Step 4: Development

After you’re done with the UI/UX design, it’s time for the most crucial part of the process, the development itself. This phase is typically divided into two key components: the backend and the front-end.

Back-end

The back-end phase of app development is about crafting databases and server-side entities that are the backbone of your app's performance. Here, the development team will pick suitable programming languages and kickstart the coding of the app. 

They will also choose the database engines and the hosting environment. The backend segment of the app development cycle is vital as it lays the foundation for your mobile app's scalability down the line.

Front-end

The front-end of a mobile app is the interface the end-user will most engage with. There are three primary methodologies for creating it.

• Native: These apps are tailor-made for each mobile platform. This implies that the code isn't recycled between iOS and Android but is instead fully optimized for each one. 
• Cross-platform: These apps can operate on multiple platforms with a single codebase. They are compatible with a variety of operating systems and aren't restricted to just one. The main advantages of this approach are its cost-effectiveness and the reusability of code.

API Integration

The development of a mobile app necessitates integration with external APIs. This enables them to swiftly add, use, and consume the most prevalent capabilities into their application. These include:

• Single and Multi-factor authentication services for user sign-up/sign-in
• Push notifications
• Payment processing
• Location tracking
• Social media integration
• Cloud data storage
• Analytics for monitoring user engagement
• Chat integration
• Voice and conversational bots
• CRM connectivity

Step 5: Testing and Quality Assurance

After your app's development is completed, the next crucial step is to rigorously test it. This ensures that the app you've developed is robust, secure, and free from glitches. To deliver an app of the highest quality, it should pass through five distinct stages of testing before it's ready for deployment.

• Functionality Testing: This stage involves a thorough examination of your app's features to confirm that they are functioning as expected.
• Performance Testing: This phase focuses on assessing your app's performance, including its responsiveness and its ability to handle a surge in simultaneous users.
• Security Testing: If you're developing enterprise-level apps, data security is much more important than ever. However, even consumer apps need to inspire trust in their users. Therefore, ensure your app complies with all security norms and that there are no security gaps in your system before proceeding to the next stage of testing.
• Platform and Device Testing: Given the frequent updates to operating systems and the regular introduction of new mobile devices, your app must remain compatible. Therefore, it should be tested across various devices or simulators.
• Extended Review: It's advisable to test your app with its intended end-users before deployment. This could be done through a focus group or a beta launch. The primary objective here is to gather as much feedback as possible.

Step 6: App Deployment and Launch Strategies

When the time comes to launch your application, the distribution process will vary based on the platform you've developed your app for. The procedure for deploying a mobile application is straightforward. You'll either have to submit your app to the App Store or the Play Store, or opt for private distribution.

Both platforms necessitate the completion of various forms and the submission of your app for review. It's worth noting that the App Store is known for its stringent acceptance criteria, so if your app, is designed for iOS, should meet the highest quality standards.

Once your app passes the review, you can proceed to list it on the chosen platform or platforms. If you haven't done so already, you'll need to create a developer account as the app's owner. There are several standard procedures to follow, such as uploading screenshots, writing descriptions, and so on. If all goes well and the platform reviews your app promptly, the entire process should not take more than a few days.

For mobile app launch strategies, we suggest you publish your app on both marketplaces. But if you’re developing a native mobile app, it is worth noting that Google’s Play Store has comparably a wider user base than Apple’s App Store. However, in terms of higher consumer spending, Apple takes the lead. 

Step 7: Post-launch Maintenance and Updates

When your application is launched, and the download numbers are increasing, it's time to analyze its performance. This step is crucial and may require more time than the app development itself. It's an ongoing process that shouldn't be overlooked.

Here are some key performance indicators (KPIs) you should pay attention to:

• Number of app downloads
• Number of active users
• The average duration of visits
• User retention rate
• Churn rate
• Conversion rate
• Customer lifetime value
• App ratings
• User reviews

In addition, it's essential to monitor crashes, bugs, customer requests, and the overall performance of your app. This will allow you to refine your app over time.

Remember, the journey doesn't end when your app is launched. In fact, it's just the beginning. Mobile apps need regular updates to stay in sync with the latest operating system updates, review guidelines, and performance standards. If not, your investment in the app may not last long.

So, it's important to realize that your app will require ongoing maintenance to make it worthwhile. If you've decided to collaborate with a software development company for your mobile project, they will likely offer post-launch support services, thereby relieving you of the maintenance work.

Best Practices and Methodologies for Mobile App Development

If you want your development journey to go on without any hassle and hardships, it is crucial to stick to the best development methodology. It ensures smooth software development according to the project requirements. Here are some best methodologies for mobile app development: 

Agile Development

Agile Development is a highly regarded methodology in mobile app development. It's a disciplined process that allows for regular adjustments throughout the project. This methodology provides a conceptual structure for managing a variety of software engineering tasks. The key to Agile Development is to reduce risks by developing software in brief periods known as iterations, which typically last from a week to a month.

Scrum

Scrum is particularly beneficial for businesses with rapidly evolving requirements and a high tolerance for change. The Scrum process kicks off with a concise planning session, followed by a meeting, and wraps up with a final review. 

This approach enables businesses to speed up software development by allowing multiple iterations simultaneously. It's considered one of the top software development methodologies due to its ability to get even the slowest projects back on track.

Waterfall

The Waterfall Methodology is a widely adopted software development methodology. Many businesses view this lifecycle model as the quintessential approach to software development. It delineates the software development process in a linear, sequential manner. It's crucial to ensure that each phase is completed before moving on to the next in this methodology. This conventional software development method is a strict linear model that doesn't provide a mechanism to revert to a previous phase to accommodate requirement changes.

Lean

The Lean Development Methodology is centered around the production of adaptable mobile applications. This software development model is more strategic than other agile methodologies. Its objective is to create software in a third of the usual time, with a constrained budget and minimal workflow requirements.

Kanban

Kanban is a renowned framework for executing Agile and DevOps software development. It necessitates real-time capacity communication and complete work transparency. Work items are visually represented on a Kanban board, enabling team members to monitor the status of each task at any given moment.

Conclusion

The success of your mobile app greatly depends on the efficiency of your mobile development process. Similar to any software, app development is a continuous process, and post-launch support for your mobile products can ensure sustained usage and yield a substantial return on your investment. However, the only step that matters for you is to choose the best mobile app development company. 

At Mtoag Technologies, we have extended our mobile application development services to businesses in various sectors, including finance, healthcare, construction, retail, consumer goods, logistics, industrial engineering, and entertainment. Our adept team possesses proficiency in mobile, cloud, AR, VR, AI, and IoT technologies.